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Mammoth Journey
Mammoth Journey is the final episode of Walking with Beasts. It follows the journey of a herd of Woolly mammoth through prehistoric Europe in the Late Pleistocene (30,000 YA). Plot The narrator reveals that the world's climate is starting to deteriorate, bringing on an ice age. This means all animals, even the mighty Woolly mammoth are struggling. One of the herd falls through a pond concealed by ice. Her sisters comfort her, and in the morning the scavengers gather. The herd then have no choice but to leave their fallen sister to prepare for the coming Ice Age winter. The narrator also reveals that so much water is frozen at the poles, causing sea levels to drop. A vast Ice Age grassland, which today is the North Sea, supports an array of mammals including a herd of mammoths. Also residing on the plains in summer is a new creature: Human. Despite having no physical adaptations for the cold, they wear animal hides to keep warm. The episode's main focus is the mammoth's 400 kilometer migration to the Alps and back in the spring. Meanwhile, two Megaloceros are fighting for a harem of females, but are then ambushed by the humans who kill one of the males. As the mammoths migrate, one of the herd and her six month old calf are separated and stalked by a Cave Lion, but survive. Upon reaching the Alps, the mother and calf are reunited with the herd. Here in the valleys, one of the herd gives birth to a female calf. The episode also focuses on the Neanderthal, who, despite being built for the cold, is struggling as a result of the Ice Age. One of them is attacked by a Woolly Rhinoceros, but survives because of his shorter stature and thicker bones. As the mammoths migrate back to the plains, they come into Neanderthal territory. The migration is important because they are risking their lives to hunt the beasts. They wait for nightfall and ambush the herd using fire. Two members, one of which is the matriarch, die in the attack. The Neanderthals are revealed to be supreme hunters, but they have an Achilles heel: they don't cope with change well. The narrator reveals in 2,000 years, they'll vanish. Back on the plains, the matriarch's sister leads her herd into the future. The narrator reveals mammoths will survive for 24,000 years until the plains they depend on will vanish. The humans, have a different story: they can cope with change when it comes, because of their adaptability and resourcefulness. The scene then changes to the Oxford Museum and the narrator reveals that "If all this has taught is anything, it's this: no species lasts forever." Creatures 30 Thousand Years Ago (Red Sea) *Woolly Mammoth *''Cro-Magnon'' *Gray Wolf *Bison *Saiga antelope 30 Thousand Years Ago (Belgium) *Woolly Mammoth *''Megaloceros'' *''Cro-Magnon'' *''Panthera Spelaea'' (identified as Cave Lion) 30 Thousand Years Ago (Alsace, France) *Woolly Mammoth *''Neanderthal'' *Woolly Rhinoceros 30 Thousand Years Ago (Alps, Switzerland) *Woolly Mammoth *Woolly Rhinoceros Present (England) *Human *Pigeon Gallery Promotional Images Evi cromagnon large-1-.jpg|A Cro-Magnon carrying a spear. Evi neanderthal large.jpg|A Neanderthal. Evi megaloceros large.jpg CGTPL WoollyMammoth.jpg MammothPromo.jpg Evi woollyrhino large.jpg WWB2.jpg Woolly-mammoth.jpg Screenshots WWB1x6 Mammoth.jpg Mammoth.png MammothMain.jpg Pic033.jpg WWB1x6 MaleWoollyMammothInWinter.jpg WWB1x6 CaveLionsLetMaleMammothPast.jpg 296584.jpg A (2).jpg Broadcast Original airdate *20 December 2001 20.30 BBC One Repeats *23 December 2001 16.30 BBC One *26 March 2003 19.00 BBC Four http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=1&order=asc&q=Walking+with+beasts&media=tv&yf=1999#search Category:Episodes Category:Walking with Beasts Category:Walking with... trilogy